Table of Contents
1. Wisconsin public libraries affected by June flooding
2. Wisconsin educators receive technology innovation award
3. Thinkfinity enhances engaged learning
4. Wisconsin libraries awarded Big Read grants
5. 130 Wisconsin libraries receive Picturing America resources
6. ALA and Scholastic Library Publishing announces 2009 National Library Week Grant
7. Website of the Week – Language Learning Library
8. Calendar
1. WISCONSIN PUBLIC LIBRARIES AFFECTED BY JUNE FLOODING
Public libraries throughout southern Wisconsin were affected by the record rainfall and consequential flooding this month. The following is a non-exhaustive summary of some of the libraries damaged or affected by the flooding.
In Columbia County:
-- The Columbus Public Library had flooding in its basement that did not damage the children’s collection. The library has served as an information and resource point for flooding in the community, including distribution of water test kits, FEMA information, sandbag availability, even buckets for cleanup.
-- The Angie W. Cox Public Library in Pardeeville had both flood waters and sewage backup in the basement that closed the building temporarily.
In Crawford County:
-- The Gays Mills Public Library, having avoided last August's floods, sustained damage to its floor from flood waters. It is closed until flood damage can be repaired.
In Grant County:
-- The new Potosi Branch of Lancaster's Schreiner Memorial Library sustained considerable flood damage to the building and collection. The facility is closed indefinitely.
In Richland County:
-- The Viola Public Library was surrounded by floodwaters, but was not damaged. Some library materials at the post office were damaged from flooding there.
In Sauk County:
-- The LaValle Public Library sustained substantial damage to both the collection and building. When it will reopen is unknown.
-- The North Freedom Public Library was closed for lack of access but sustained little damage.
-- The Kraemer Library & Community Center in Plain sustained flood damage and is currently closed for repairs and carpet replacement.
-- Reedsburg Public Library was closed temporarily because of encroaching waters but opened to provide Internet service to the community when the telephone utility was flooded and no other Internet was available with the exception of the TEACH subsidized lines to the library.
-- The Rock Springs Public Library had flooding that damaged some of the collection on lower shelves. Portions of the collection were relocated and the library is still closed.
In Trempealeau County:
-- The Whitehall Public Library sustained flood damage to much of its adult fiction and reference collections.
Wisconsin flood recovery and other emergency information can be obtained from
http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov/ as well as the following American Library Association site:
http://www.acrl.org/ala/washoff/woissues/disasterpreparedness/distrprep.cfm.
2. WISCONSIN EDUCATORS RECEIVE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AWARD
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) along with sponsors Linworth Publishing, Inc. and Follett software Company announced the first annual Media Specialist Technology Innovation Awards. Two teams of educators received first place awards for their creative, collaborative, and technology-rich projects involving elementary and secondary schools students. The First Place Elementary School Award honors Kathy Sanders and Gwen Pavelski from Taylor Prairie Elementary School in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, for Weather Watch: Making History.
As the first place winner in the elementary school category, each team member receives a one-year ISTE membership, $1,000 cash award for their media center, a $500 travel and registration stipend, and $1,000 professional library collection from Linworth Publishing, as well as a one-year subscription to Linworth’s Library Media Connection journal.
Congratulations go to Kathy Sanders and Gwen Pavelski on developing and implementing an outstanding instructional technology enriched unit for second grade students.
3. THINKFINITY ENHANCES ENGAGED LEARNING
On November 8, 2007, Thinkfinity.org rolled-out in Wisconsin. Thinkfinity, Verizon Foundation's flagship education program, is a partnership between the Verizon Foundation and leading national educational organizations that provides over 50,000 high quality online instructional resources. Visit Thinkfinity in Wisconsin at http://www.dpi.wi.gov/imt/thinkfinity.html.
Since October 2007 Wisconsin has trained over 100 local educators as Thinkfinity Field Trainers. Throughout 2007-2008 these Wisconsin field trainers provided ongoing systemic professional development for 506 of their colleagues. In addition, 712 educators participated in Awareness Sessions that introduced them to Thinkfinity lesson plans, interactive modules, professional research, online field trips, and web-links.
A 30-hour Verizon Foundation Online Field Trainer Course begins on August 6, 2008, and new sections of this course are available the first Wednesday of each month throughout 2008-2009. Thinkfinity for 21st Century Learning, two 1-credit graduate courses, will be available to Wisconsin Thinkfinity Field Trainers to facilitate, beginning fall 2008.
For additional information about Thinkfinity or to enroll in training opportunities contact Donna Steffan, Education Consultant, Instructional Media and Technology Team, at donna.steffan@dpi.wi.gov or by phone at 608-267-1282.
4. WISCONSIN LIBRARIES AWARDED BIG READ GRANTS
This week the National Endowment for the Arts announced that 208 libraries, municipalities, and arts, culture, and science organizations will receive grants totaling $2,810,500 to host Big Read celebrations between September 2008 and June 2009. The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature. The newest Big Read grantees represent 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Below are the Wisconsin libraries and other organizations that have been awarded grants for this round of Big Read projects. More details are at http://www.arts.gov/national/bigread/press/bigread2009.html.
Amery Public Library
Amery, WI
The Great Gatsby
Peninsula Players Theatre Foundation, Inc.
Fish Creek, WI
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Menomonie Public Library
Menomonie, WI
The Call of the Wild
Mead Public Library
Sheboygan, WI
Fahrenheit 451
St. Croix Falls Public Library/Festival Theatre
St. Croix Falls, WI
The Call of the Wild
Waukesha Public Library
Waukesha, WI
The Great Gatsby
Irvin L Young Auditorium
Whitewater, WI
To Kill a Mockingbird
5. 130 WISCONSIN LIBRARIES RECEIVE PICTURING AMERICA RESOURCES
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) recently announced that over 130 schools and public libraries across Wisconsin will receive Picturing America, a free initiative that helps teach American history and culture by bringing some of the country’s great art directly to classrooms and libraries. Awardees will receive 40 large, high-quality reproductions of great American art and a comprehensive teacher’s resource book to facilitate the use of the works of art in core subjects. Delivery of these materials is scheduled for August 2008.
From January 7 through April 15, 2008, 26,320 schools and public libraries in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories successfully applied to receive Picturing America in the program’s first nationwide application period.
The NEH will offer Picturing America to more schools and libraries through a future enrollment opportunity beginning in August 2008. All eligible organizations in the U.S. and its territories that have not previously received Picturing America may apply for the program from August 4 through October 31, 2008, at PicturingAmerica.neh.gov.
Information on specific Wisconsin recipient schools and public libraries is available on the website at http://www.picturingamerica.neh.gov.
6. ALA AND SCHOLASTIC LIBRARY PUBLISHING ANNOUNCES 2009 NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK GRANT
Libraries across the United States are invited to apply for the $3,000 Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant, which will be awarded to a single library for the best public awareness campaign incorporating the 2009 National Library Week theme, “Worlds connect @ your library®.”
The grant is sponsored by Scholastic Library Publishing, and is administered by the Public Awareness Committee of the American Library Association (ALA). This year’s application deadline is October 17, 2008. National Library Week is April 12-18, 2009.
All proposals must use the “Worlds connect @ your library” theme, which incorporates The Campaign for America's Libraries’ “@ your library” brand, on any and all promotional and publicity material supporting National Library Week activities.
A grant application form and guidelines are available on The Campaign for America’s Libraries Web site at http://www.ala.org/@yourlibrary/nlwgrant . Information also is available from the ALA Public Information Office, telephone: 800-545-2433, ext. 2148 or E-mail: mmcfarlane@ala.org.
7. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Language Learning Library -- http://languagelearninglibrary.org/ -- LanguageLearningLibrary.org is a free, comprehensive guide to language learning information, resources, and services, offered by the U.S. Institute of Languages. The site lists resources to assist with learning Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian.
8. CALENDAR
June 26-July 2, 2008 – American Library Association annual conference, Anaheim, California
June 29-July 2, 2008 – National Educational Computing Conference, San Antonio, Texas
July 11, 2008 – Council on Library and Network Development, Milwaukee
September 12, 2008 – Council on Library and Network Development, Fennimore
October 9, 2008 – Delivery Services Advisory Committee, WisLine web
October 10, 2008 – Library Information Technology Advisory Committee meeting, Madison
November 14, 2008 – Council on Library and Network Development, location to be announced
To access previous issues of Channel Weekly, or to subscribe or unsubscribe, go to:
http://dpi.wi.gov/channel/chweekly.html
For questions about this information, contact Roslyn M. Wise (608) 266-6439
Last updated on 8/25/2008 12:17:35 PM
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